Students preparing for their graduation ceremony at Canterbury Cathedral

Politics and International Relations (Bi-diplôme) - BA (Hons)

UCAS code L291

This is an archived page and for reference purposes only

2016

This is a challenging and rewarding bi-lingual and bi-national programme offered in partnership with the Institut d'Etudes Politiques (IEP) de Lille, one of France’s most prestigious grandes écoles. Established in 2002, it was the first programme of its kind offered in the UK. You will spend your first and fourth years in Lille and the second and third in Canterbury.

Overview

This programme is ideal for those students wishing to study politics and international relations within a broader social science context in the UK and France, and to obtain a degree recognised in both educational systems.

You will experience academic and personal life in two different institutional, national and linguistic environments and develop knowledge and understanding of their respective cultures and societies. The programme aims to equip students with the ability to place political questions, both domestic and international, at the centre of their social-scientific analysis and will enable students to link the study of politics and international relations to that of related disciplines, with a particular emphasis on Economics, Law and Philosophy.

After successfully completing four years of study, you will be awarded the BA from the University of Kent. To obtain the Diplôme of the IEP you must successfully complete a fifth year of study either at the IEP or at Kent. If you decide to return to Kent, you can join one of our many MA programmes at the end of which, if successful, you will receive both the MA from Kent and the Diplôme of the IEP.

Programme fees

Please note that the fees indicated in the fee box (right) relate to the second and third year whilst studying in Kent. For details on the fees payable during the first and final year, please contact polirugadmissions@kent.ac.uk

Independent rankings

In the National Student Survey 2015, 92% of Politics students were satisfied with the overall quality of their course. Kent was ranked 5th in the UK for politics in The Guardian University Guide 2017. In The Times Good University Guide 2016, Politics at Kent was ranked 10th in the UK for graduate prospects.

Course structure

The course structure below gives a flavour of the modules that will be available to you and provides details of the content of this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.  Most programmes will require you to study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also have the option to take ‘wild’ modules from other programmes offered by the University in order that you may customise your programme and explore other subject areas of interest to you or that may further enhance your employability.

Year abroad

You alternate between the University of Kent and Sciences Po Lille. The first and fourth years
are spent at Sciences Po Lille, the second and third years at Kent.

After four years of studies, successful students gain their BA degree (from the University of Kent). Students can then choose to spend their fifth year of study in either Canterbury or Lille. Students who complete their studies in Lille can graduate with a Science Po diplôme. Students who complete their fifth year at Kent can graduate with an MA degree (from the University of Kent) and the Science Po diplôme.

Teaching and assessment

Our main teaching methods are lectures, seminars, working groups, PC laboratory sessions and individual discussions with your personal tutor or module teachers. Assessment is through continuous feedback, written examinations, assessed essays and oral presentations.

Politics Open Forum

We hold a weekly extra-curricular Open Forum organised by our School research groups, where students and staff have the opportunity to discuss and debate key issues of the day that affect higher education and politics in the world today.

Programme aims

The programme aims to:

  • meet the needs of those who wish to study politics and international relations within a broader social science context
  • provide the opportunity to study in the UK and France and obtain degrees recognised in both educational systems
  • enable students to experience academic and personal life in two different institutional, national and linguistic environments and develop knowledge and understanding of their respective cultures and societies
  • place political questions, both domestic and international, at the centre of social-scientific analysis
  • enable students to understand and use the concepts, approaches and methods of politics and develop an understanding of their contested nature
  • enable students to link their studies to related disciplines such as economics, law and philosophy
  • develop students’ capacities to think critically about political and social events, ideas and institutions
  • encourage students to relate their academic studies to questions of public concern
  • provide a curriculum supported by scholarship and a research culture that promotes wide-ranging intellectual enquiry and debate
  • enable students to develop skills relevant to their vocational and personal development
  • enable students to perfect their command of English and French.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding

You gain knowledge and understanding of:

  • key concepts, theories and methods and how to use them to analyse political ideas, institutions, practices and issues in the global arena
  • the structure, institutions and operation of different political systems
  • the social, economic, historical and cultural contexts of political institutions and behaviour
  • the political dynamics of interaction between people, events, ideas and institutions
  • the contestable nature of many concepts and different approaches to the study of politics and international relations
  • the normative and positive foundations of political ideas
  • the ways in which politics is linked to related disciplines such as economics, law and philosophy
  • advanced use of the French language
  • in-depth knowledge of French culture and society.

Intellectual skills

You gain intellectual skills in how to:

  • gather, organise and deploy information from a variety of primary and secondary sources
  • identify, investigate, analyse, formulate and advocate solutions to problems
  • develop reasoned arguments, synthesise relevant information and exercise critical judgement
  • reflect on and manage your own learning and make use of constructive feedback to enhance your own performance and personal skills
  • use your understanding of different educational curricula and learning methods in your own work
  • integrate into a different educational, cultural, social and linguistic environment.

Subject-specific skills

You gain subject-specific skills in:

  • understanding the nature and significance of politics as a human activity within its wider economic, legal and philosophical context
  • the application of concepts, theories and methods to the analysis of political ideas, institutions, practices and issues in the global arena
  • how to evaluate different interpretations of world political events and issues
  • the ability to describe, evaluate and apply different approaches to collecting, analysing and presenting political information
  • either economics, law, philosophy or a third European language, depending on the option chosen
  • advanced knowledge and use of the French language
  • in-depth knowledge of French culture and society.

Transferable skills

You develop transferable skills in the following areas:

  • communication – how to communicate effectively in speech and writing in both English and French; how to organise information clearly; how to use communication and IT for the retrieval and presentation of information, including statistical or numerical data
  • numeracy – how to make sense of statistical materials; integrate numerical and non-numerical information, and understand the limits and potentialities of arguments based on quantitative information
  • information technology – how to produce written documents; undertake online research; communicate using email; process information using databases
  • reflective learning – how to explore personal strengths and weaknesses; review your working environment (especially the student-staff relationship); develop autonomy in your learning; work independently, demonstrate initiative, self-organisation and time-management
  • working with others – how to define and review the work of others; work co-operatively on group tasks; understand how groups function; collaborate with others and contribute to the achievement of common goals
  • problem solving – how to identify and define problems; explore alternative solutions and discriminate between them
  • intercultural awareness – how to recognise the differences and similarities between British and French academic and cultural contexts and develop the flexibility to perform well in different environments.

Careers

Through your study, you acquire many of the key qualities that graduate employers expect, including: the ability to plan and organise projects; to analyse and summarise complex material, and to express your opinions coherently and with sensitivity. Those students who choose to take advantage of our study abroad options find it gives them a definite advantage in the employment market.

Recent graduates have gone into areas such as teaching, publishing, practical politics, local and central government, the diplomatic service, EU administration, financial services, non-governmental organisations, journalism, international business or international organisations. Many have also gone on to postgraduate study.

Entry requirements

In order to be considered for this programme applicants will have to attend a Bi-diplome selection day which includes  a two-part written test and an interview in English and in French. Upon receiving your application if you meet our initial entry requirements, you will be invited to attend a selection day in either March or April. In order to be considered for the programme it is mandatory to attend one of the selection days.
 

Home/EU students

The University will consider applications from students offering a wide range of qualifications, typical requirements are listed below, students offering alternative qualifications should contact the Admissions Office for further advice. It is not possible to offer places to all students who meet this typical offer/minimum requirement.

Qualification Typical offer/minimum requirement
A level

ABB including French at grade A.

Access to HE Diploma

The University of Kent will not necessarily make conditional offers to all access candidates but will continue to assess them on an individual basis. If an offer is made candidates will be required to obtain/pass the overall Access to Higher Education Diploma and may also be required to obtain a proportion of the total level 3 credits and/or credits in particular subjects at merit grade or above.

BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (formerly BTEC National Diploma)

The university will consider applicants holding BTEC National Diploma and Extended National Diploma Qualifications (QCF; NQF;OCR) on a case by case basis please contact us via the enquiries tab for further advice on your individual circumstances.

International Baccalaureate

34 points overall or 16 at Higher, including French HL A1/A2/B at 4/5/5 or SL A1/A2/B at 5/6/6.

International students

The University receives applications from over 140 different nationalities and consequently will consider applications from prospective students offering a wide range of international qualifications. Our International Development Office will be happy to advise prospective students on entry requirements. See our International Student website for further information about our country-specific requirements.

Please note that if you need to increase your level of qualification ready for undergraduate study, we offer a number of International Foundation Programmes through Kent International Pathways.

English Language Requirements

Please see our English language entry requirements web page.

Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of pre-sessional courses in English for Academic Purposes through Kent International Pathways.

General entry requirements

Please also see our general entry requirements.

Fees

The 2016/17 annual tuition fees for this programme are:

UK/EU Overseas
Full-time

For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.

The Government has announced changes to allow undergraduate tuition fees to rise in line with inflation from 2017/18.

The University of Kent is currently considering whether to increase its regulated full-time tuition fees for all returning Home and EU undergraduates from £9,000 to £9,250 in September 2017. This would be subject to us satisfying the Government's Teaching Excellence Framework and the access regulator's requirements. The equivalent part-time fees for these courses might also rise by 2.8%.

For students continuing on this programme fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.* If you are uncertain about your fee status please contact information@kent.ac.uk

UK/EU/International students on an approved Year Abroad for the full 2016/17 academic year pay an annual fee of £1,350 to Kent for that year. Those on an approved Year in Industry pay an annual fee of £865 to Kent for that year. Students studying abroad for less than one academic year will pay full fees according to their fee status.

Funding

Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. Details of our proposed funding opportunities for 2016 entry can be found on our funding page.  

General scholarships

Scholarships are available for excellence in academic performance, sport and music and are awarded on merit. For further information on the range of awards available and to make an application see our scholarships website.

The Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence

At Kent we recognise, encourage and reward excellence. We have created the Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence. For 2016 entry, the scholarship will be awarded to any applicant who achieves a minimum of AAA over three A levels, or the equivalent qualifications as specified on our scholarships pages. Please review the eligibility criteria on that page. 

The Key Information Set (KIS) data is compiled by UNISTATS and draws from a variety of sources which includes the National Student Survey and the Higher Education Statistical Agency. The data for assessment and contact hours is compiled from the most populous modules (to the total of 120 credits for an academic session) for this particular degree programme. Depending on module selection, there may be some variation between the KIS data and an individual's experience. For further information on how the KIS data is compiled please see the UNISTATS website.

If you have any queries about a particular programme, please contact information@kent.ac.uk.